Title: Dirty Little Secret
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published: July 16th, 2013
Source: E - arc from publisher
Buy The Book: Amazon/Barnes and Noble
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Summary:
From
the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new
drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions,
heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.
Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.
Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…
Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.
Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…
My Thoughts:
I was
definitely curious to begin this one, I had never read a Jennifer Echols book
before and I have found myself enjoying certain contemporary books more and
more. I felt like Dirty Little Secret was just a bit unrealistic in my opinion,
I liked the story because I am trying to learn to play the guitar so I enjoyed
the music aspect and I do really like country but, at times I couldn't believe
that Bailey's family would treat her the way the did and her love interest at
times was a real jerk!
Bailey and
her sister Julie have grown up playing Bluegrass festivals, Julie singing and
playing guitar and Bailey playing the fiddle and writing their songs. It all
changes one day when a record company gives Julie a record deal and leaves
Bailey behind, not only that they expect Bailey to hide in the shadows and not
do anything to jeopardize her new career, that includes singing or playing
music at all. Bailey is sent to Nashville to stay for the summer with her
grandpa after a series of in my opinion cries for help from Bailey , she has
cut her once beautiful blond hair short and dyed it black and taken to a goth look. But, deep down even
Bailey knows its all an act, she is disappointed and hurt by the fact that her
whole family has left her completely behind. It all changes when her Grandpa
gets her a job working in country music tribute bands that play in the mall.
This is where Bailey meets Sam, a guy who she has remembered from a bluegrass
festival and reminds her how much she loves to play music and that she is not
just destined to hide in the background.
Bailey's
felt like your average teenager, she did what I thought any teenager would do
if she was put into this situation, she acted out and I understand why her parents
were upset with her but, most of what she did wasn't too horrible. I was kind
of angry at her parents throughout most of the book, I couldn't believe that
they would agree to let their other talented daughter hide in the background
while her sister became famous. It really felt like they abandoned Bailey and
it was hard to come to terms with all that because I was not happy about that aspect.
Now, Sam
Bailey's love interest was hard for me to like, I liked him in the beginning of
the book. But that ended quickly for me,
after he convinces Bailey to play with his band one night it went downhill from
there and I began to really dislike him.
Overall, I
did aspects of Dirty Little Secret but, I was disappointed in the little things
that kept me from completely enjoying the story, I am still willing to try
another Jennifer Echol's read but, I couldn't fall in love with this one.
Want some more thoughts on Dirty Little Secret? Check out the links below!
Ooh, I can't imagine a jerky love interest! I can see why you wouldn't like this one much. I've been wanting to read this one since I read Such A Rush, which I loved. Maybe you should try that one? Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteYea, I felt the same way about those things. Good review.
ReplyDeleteSam was a frustrating love interest, to say the least. Don't let this book ruin you on Jennifer Echols, though. I've only read one other, Such a Rush, but I think it was MUCH better than this one.
ReplyDelete